The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-11-30
PEcuLlARlTIEs OF CUBAN LAW.
B~ystanders Warned Away from n Mar
Stabbed and Dying in Agony.

Bystanders Warned Away from n Man
Stabbed and Dying in Agony.
The shrill whistle of one of The Eavana
policemen attracted the attention of the
people who were dining in the principal
hotel of Havana the other night, AND half
of them followed the clerks and porters
out on the sidewalk. Directly in front Of
the hotel Is o little park and near m Of
the small fountains was o man writhing
about and digging his fingers into the
ground in his agony. He moaned con-
stantly. He was dying. At a distance Of
perhaps twenty feet from him We're four
policemen, with their arms folded, smok-
ing cigarettes and keeping an alert eye on
all pedestrians. If a man approached the
poor wretch who was dying there, he was
had been dining in the hotel started to-
they were pushed and led back by the
hotel employees amid considerable excite
ment.
"You mustn't go there" said one Of
the interpreters, earnestly.
"Why nots" asked a burly md good
natured Newark physician, moving for
ward again. 'tThe mans got cramps
probably from hunger-and q little aid
now would save his life. / don't propose
to stand here and see him die"
"No, no. Don't go over there. Listen
to me. 1 know it will be very serious for
you If you
But the Jerseyman pushed ahead, fol-
lowed by his countrymen, while the inter-
prefer rushed into the hotel after an
American merchant who has lived here
for thirty years and who has o wide
knowledge Of Cuban affairs. This gentle
man ran out without his hat and called to
his countrymen in such an authoritative
way that they returned to the hotel again
slowly.
"Stay here" he said shortly, land
keep away S.om all such scenes as that
while you are in Cuba. The Spanish laws
Of 800 years ago are still in force, which
call for the arrest of witnesses to any
crime or tragedy'-
"But that man is dying" protested the
Jerseyman.
ct can see that plainly enough. He is
either dying of sickness or he has been
stabbed in the back by some enemy. The
coroner has been sent for and he will prob.
ably be here In two hours. Meanwhile, II
1t is a murder the police will have to make
some arrests to satisfy their superiors.
God help the men they take into custody,
Prisoners here arc kept in Jail months and
months-and foul jails at that-without
any preliminary examination or commit
ment by q magistrate, and then they are
tried without being allowed to be present
at their trials. Witnesses are not cross
examined and sentence is executed before
there is a chance for stay of proceedings.
Look about here. You car see thousands
of people watching that poor DEVILS death
agonies from safe distances. Sec them
staring from housetops and from behind
pillars and half closed windows. They
are not towards, but there Is not one
among them that would dare to risk the
consequences of going to tho aid Of that
unfortunate man.
One or two other old Cuban residents
Joined the group, and we finally went
back to the dining room. The ~groanine
and moaning of the man was awful. II
all occurred In the heart of tho city oil
Havana, and in a situation not unlike
that Of the Fifth Avenue hotel on Madison
square, New York. jumped into n hack
and drove away from the neighborhood
when I could stand the thing no longer,
and l afterward learned that after two
hours the man died and was subsequently
removed. He had been stabbed in thu
side. No effort was made to get assist
ance for him by the brutal police beyond
sending for the coroner, Two men wert
arrested, and they are now In jail
Blakely Halls Cuba Letter.